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color-cacophony · 6 months

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I was going to make a Big Official Review Post about Rayman in the Phantom Show but I don't really have enough complete thoughts to make something comprehensive and organized, but I still want to share some points from my experience with it so uhhh without further ado, here's a bunch of thoughts on what dazzled me and what I thought could have been done better.

Here I go...

I'll start with the stuff that bugged me first because I don't like to end on a bad note:

I think the biggest issue is that giving the player the option to complete each set in any order diminishes the opportunity to have a linear story. Without a series of events building up to the finale, the actual climax doesn't feel as grand or substantial as it should be (it definitely feels like a few lines were cut from the moments before Phantom's first verse with how abruptly it starts). It would have felt more immersive to see actual scenes of the heroes trying to play their roles and have more varied quests based on puzzles or even characters and dialogue (like the search for Sweetlopek's stolen axe), all whilst gradually putting the pieces together that they were led into a trap.

Speaking of putting the pieces together, it would've paid off to have Beep-0 learn from his own arrogance in the past instead of repeating his assertion that he knew what Phantom was up to all along. That part made me kind of sad because I really like Beep-0 and it seemed like they were setting him up to eventually become less uptight and more open to admitting his mistakes, which would be more satisfying and obvious!

As we all know, Beep-0 isn't the only one who repeated himself. I remember an exchange I had with @randomrabbidramblings about our predictions for what would happen in the climax; they were hoping the final showdown with Phantom would not be redundant with his first encounter, having the same battle gimmick as before. Unfortunately that is, in fact, what they ended up doing. While framing it as Phantom being unoriginal or making a callback helps it a little bit, ultimately it made me feel let down (although I love Beep-0's delivery when he reiterates his line from Kingdom Battle. he means business).

As for the aftermath of the battle, I want to know where Phantom went. There doesn't seem to be any sign of him anywhere in the studio. It's really odd, given how this was supposed to be his grand comeback (alongside Rayman, of course), but we don't get even a simple explanation of what happened to him after he was defeated for the second time, unless I missed something. I presume this is his last major appearance in a game (unless they decide to do something completely different with him in the distant future??? wishful thinking but not ruling it out!), so it's a strangely underwhelming and mysterious send-off to our beloved ghostly diva. I would have been bummed that we didn't get lore paintings for him, but the memory entry summarizing his surprisingly short-lived career actually made me laugh and honestly, the thought of him only releasing one album and becoming so well-known just because he's notoriously a huge jerk and a producer of incredibly terrible films is so in-character for him.

Another choice I found unusual was the lack of any explanation as to how he got his voice back, since it's been established that he screwed it up by overdoing it. Although, they must have dismissed it knowing that not everyone is going to find the mural containing the only source of that detail. His voice could have healed over time anyway, but it just doesn't entirely make sense that they don't acknowledge it at all (I did see @bramble-scramble 's post mentioning a detail @randomrabbidramblings pointed out where a gramophone can be seen in a box in the studio's control room and it is supposedly the one Phantom replaced with a new one when he messed it up, but even if that's true, it's still a bit easy to miss).

I understand that a lot of these issues were due to restraints since it's only a DLC and they could only fit so much in, but that goes to show that this concept is a little too big for a DLC, but not quite big enough for a full game.

Now, for the things I loved...

I must give massive props to the artists and animators for taking reference from multiple Rayman games and essentially making the pinnacle of his goofiness. Rayman was HIGHLY entertaining to see (and listen to, thanks to David Gasman) and very lovable in this! And the way his dynamic with Rabbid Peach and Rabbid Mario changes up until the end where he becomes friends with them and realizes that he can work with the Rabbids now instead of against them it's just 🥺 awgh... It feels cheesy to talk about it but it really does make me happy now that Rayman has a chance to be an equal to the Rabbids and have something resembling a mutual understanding.

I appreciate them bringing back characters from the main game and giving them their own sets. Fittingly enough, it's like a curtain call for the final installment of SoH.

The return of Beep-0's swearing. SERIOUSLY IT'S SUCH A SMALL THING BUT IT DELIGHTED ME

The studio's lobby is gorgeous. Absolutely STUNNING I love all the details and the music notation motifs on everything.

Honestly the rest of this is just going to be me gushing about Phantom hehehe...

First of all, I was completely awestruck at the decision to give him a swing/jazz sequence because I love the aesthetic of the whole sassy big band musical number kind of thing so when I saw that Phantom was going to do that I went INSANE. The animation in the song sequences is absolutely top tier. Phantom is ALL OVER THE PLACE, very charming, very energetic. The swing bit made me realize just how unbelievably coordinated he is. Like when he's zipping and spinning around the stage and it doesn't affect his singing at all? Holy crap. Then, I went even MORE insane when rock/metal Phantom showed up. I would have wanted a verse in that style too, but I get that it was cut because it would mess up the pacing of the battle.

I love Phantom's inability to contain his excitement at the start of the battle, his annoyed lines when you destroy the lights, his smug remarks even when he's taking damage. He's just so- I'm just gonna say it- so freaking cute in this! His line deliveries in general made me fall so hard for him, especially "were you EVER a thing, Rayman?". The way he drops his voice sounds so cool...

Regarding his abilities, I thought they were going to explain why he could turn people to stone in Kingdom Battle, but they simply took that detail away. I don't have a big problem with this, as the Stone Deaf ability could have been part of the Megabug's influence (and it makes him at least a bit less OP lol). I'm also satisfied to finally know that he can indeed phase through things like any other ghost and isn't limited to just teleporting.

His death acting has definitely improved since last time, in that it's silly and makes me smile instead of just making me feel embarrassed lol.

So uummmm yeah that's all the noteworthy stuff I can think of! Overall I thought the DLC was delightful during my playthrough, but after I finished it I felt kind of sad because it just didn't feel "thorough". However, given that Sparks of Hope generally improved on so many aspects from the last game, I'm confident that they'll keep adding and experimenting with more characterizations and scenarios and make something even better if they decide to continue with Mario + Rabbids. And even if they don't, we'll always have the amazing fans to continue the story and put even more wonder into this wild crossed-over universe!

Anyway, thank you for reading through this highly disorganized rant/gush! And while I'm at it, thank you to everybody in the Mario + Rabbids community for making such amazing art and just being here to share our love for the series. That means thank you to @randomrabbidramblings @bramble-scramble @salamifuposey @hostess-of-horror @phandrow @pastelprince18 @critterzone13 @hostdoozy @majorpepperidge and more! You guys are super cool and I appreciate you even though I've never directly interacted with all of you, hehe. I suppose all I have left to say is goodnight, so goodnight/day everyone! Until next time I decide to dump more nonsense onto your dashboard :D

#I was a bit late making this post but I was dead for a while so eehhhh #thoughts and rambles tag

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funkymbtifiction · 2 years

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hi, charity! i’d like your opinion on my possible type? sorry this is so long lol.

- i would say i’m pretty impulsive. while my mom is very structured and loves planning (which is very alien to me), i prefer to leave things until the last minute. i’d also rather do things, than talk about stuff. things that are exciting and adrenaline-pumping really appeal to me. <- Se / SP

- i do like daydreaming especially when listening to music, but after a while, i realize it won’t really happen and stop. <- Se / SP

- i find that i mirror others. if someone texts super enthusiastic, i do the same; if it sounds more distant, i do the same. when doing something in school, i look to other people to see if i’m doing an assignment right. <- attachment core, probably 9

- i hate crying, especially around others. if anything, my first emotion when i’m upset is to be angry. <- likely gut type (9)

when i get upset, i withdraw from others. <- withdrawn type + Fi (9)

if i feel bad in that moment, it’s hard for me to picture that i won’t feel bad in the future. <- ISFP (how I am feeling now is all that matters, all I can see, what if this lasts forever?)

i don’t like to explain what i’m feeling and actually find it difficult to <- Fi

but when it really gets bad, i do seek out other people to talk about my problems. <- attachment, could be 9 or 6.

- i can be passive during conflict with friends. i’d rather have everyone get along, so when someone’s fighting with another, it bums me out that we all just can’t hang out. i like to keep things lighthearted and if it gets too serious/tense, i get uncomfortable. <- more 9

- i’ve chosen to taken up a major that my parents really wanted me to do, not that i actually wanted to do it. <- 9 "going along" with other people's agendas

it’s very difficult for me to think to the future, such as schools i’ll have to transfer to next semester and what i’ll have to do to prepare for that. thinking about the future in that way makes me feel anxious, since it’s not something that’s tangible right now. <- weak Ni

- it’s difficult for me to brainstorm or think of something random in an instant. <- no Ne

- i constantly debate with my mom about her political and religious beliefs. it’s not that i’m dismissing it, but she always takes it personal. there’s just so many logical inconsistencies in the religion i was raised in that i question, but i do know that religion is mainly to have faith in something. otherwise, you’d feel hopeless. <- doesn't mean you're not a 9

- if i’m in a situation i don’t like/enjoy, i immediately try and find a way out. i tend to run away when things get difficult. <- more 9

- i hate feeling like i’m doing nothing with my life. i compare myself to my peers a lot and sometimes even lie to make myself look better, such as about romantic relationships, grades, and stuff (nothing too crazy lmao). i also don’t like doing nothing in general, i have to constantly be doing something and feel like i’m being productive. <- strong Se and a strong 1 wing (super ego, I need to accomplish stuff and not be lazy!)

- i feel like i have a grey type of thinking rather than black and white. i can see all sides, so it’s hard for me to strongly choose one. i can even empathize with the villain sometimes. <- 9 core.

ISFP 9w1.

#question #mbti #enneagram

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saintartemis · 1 year

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I posted 4,037 times in 2022

77 posts created (2%)

3,960 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@marzipanandminutiae

@museeeuuuum

@chaotic-archaeologist

@thatlittleegyptologist

@leitharstjarna

I tagged 1,560 of my posts in 2022

#archaeology - 237 posts

#museums - 179 posts

#fairy tail - 113 posts

#museum life - 90 posts

#history - 77 posts

#museum work - 72 posts

#artemis speaks - 59 posts

#natsu dragneel - 50 posts

#lucy heartfilia - 40 posts

#museum worker - 40 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#personally i’m not likely to care too much what happens to my body in a hundred years or so so long as i’m treated with respect and dignity

My Top Posts in 2022:

“Our research shows that for many segments of the public, history remains a subject merely about easily-definable facts and figures—and nothing more. Put simply, for many Americans, history they perceive as plainly presenting the “truth” through objects is “unbiased,” and good; history that involves anything beyond names and dates is just a “biased” opinion, and bad.

This narrow conception of what history is, how it is done, and what sources to trust about the past suggests a troubling conclusion: Americans trust our stuff, but they don’t trust us. Americans see public history institutions as an easily accessible storage unit for the “stuff” of history, but do not see (or have hidden from them) the complex processes underlying the final exhibit. When it comes to explaining what we do, our field has our work cut out for us.”

89 notes - Posted April 5, 2022

Credit to museumshift on Instagram

100 notes - Posted February 26, 2022

Musings Of a Museum Professional.

That feeling when you get when you get to FINALLY change the entry in the database for a painting that’s been misidentified for DECADES.

It’s a good feeling.

124 notes - Posted September 13, 2022

I love going to historic preservation conferences, because there are so many great discussions going on in the field, in museums, in archaeology that I get to be a part in. How to engage your local community and get them involved, about how to build more multi-sensory programs at your sites that aren’t just at kids, but adults too. How to to tap into citizen historians and archaeologists to better tell local stories and become a place the community feels safe going to with questions.

I’m listening to fantastic talks about recognizing if your museum’s leadership is an accurate reflection of the community you serve; how to use art to heal community trauma and all these amazing stories that got lost or are untold.

This is just me rambling about how happy that these topics and so much more are being discussed and addressed in the field. I’m not sure if I was really going anywhere with this line of thought, but I have soo many ideas for programs and exhibits to try at my museum and I’m just excited.

158 notes - Posted February 4, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

can you explain how you got into the museum field? I have my ba in history (‘20), with some experience in both public education and collection management basics, and I’m trying to find a foothold to get into museums and out of mind-dulling admin

Hello!

I came to the museum field in a round about sort of way.

I always wanted to work in archaeology, and when I was in undergrad I studied archaeology. My overall plan was to work as a shovel bum for a few years, go to grad school and eventually end up academia. I did field schools all over, during undergrad and after. And I knew to have a career I'd probably need a MA at the least.

So about half way through my senior year of undergrad, I figured out academia probably wasn’t for me, which is probably was a bit late to figure that out. And by this point I was also super interest in art conservation as a result of some of the field schools I'd been a part of. So during my gap year(s) after undergrad, I took some chem courses in-between working a normal job, and eventually applied for some art conservation programs and got rejected.

During this time, I was volunteering in my free time at a local museum as a costumed interpreter in an area of history that was not my forte or my main area of interest and it was a lot of fun and that is what kind of turned me on to working in museums. I still wanted to be involved with archaeology to an extent, so my line of thinking at the time was, if I can’t come in the front door, I'll come in the back door.

So I looked into what it takes to have a career in the museum field, I looked at all kinds of job postings, what qualifications they required, read all sort of articles. I already had the object handling experience it was everything else I kind of lacked. Applied to grad schools, and managed to get into a well respected and AFFORDABLE grad program (they do exist) and got a good basis in theory and practical knowledge.

I worked in a museum’s archaeology lab, as a curatorial assistant, as a processing archivist, an educator, I’ve managed volunteers and handled VIPS.

I got into my current job, with a lotta luck, and good timing.The fact I had a lot of experience not just in collections, but in interpretation, and tours and public speaking was really a major factor in me getting hired. I would say being flexible and having a lot of ‘tools’ in your tool belt is what really helps in this field.

I work as an interpreter and educator currently, that’s my main job. But I also work under the collections manager, the marketing manager, even the director doing admin tasks. We’re a small staff so we all have to pitch in to make the museum successful and we all get a long which is a definite bonus.

So that’s more or less how I got into the museum field. Kind of convoluted, but it worked out, surprisingly.

I hope this answered your question and I hope you find this helpful! Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any more questions!

Thank you for the question!

198 notes - Posted April 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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papirouge · 2 years

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I just wanted to say to you thank you for introducing FDS to me ☺️

Ireally appreciate places for women to vent and uplift each other in regards to relationship creation and life stability. Red flags and low value behavior is something I’m learning to pick up on and I’ve seen first hand what going 50/50 does. I hope more girls see it too. It can hard to read if you’re used to lib fem stuff force fed to you but you know you’re doing something right when msm is literally telling women to ignore our standards and date sub par men instead of telling men to also uplift themselves to be the best versions of themselves. I want a family in the future but ONLY with a hvm. I want nothing less but the best because my future kids, if I have them, deserve the best father. If it doesn’t happen, then so what, you know? What will be, will be.✌️ we have already seen and read the horrror that comes from being desperate, settling and having babies from a subpar relationship. It’s not worth it. God created animals to seek out the best in mates, pretty sure it is also for us too lol.

You're welcome 🤍

lol your last sentence though I think shoving bio essentialism onto human relationship is peak scrote talking point buuuuuut there's some truth in what you say. Scrote will always argue that men should chase younger ans breedable women bc that's how nature works but they conveniently totally ignore how in the same nature female actually pick the best male mates. Like, ultimately the choice lies to the female and the male has to put up to outstanding assets to hope finding a female partner. But 99% of bio essentialist moids are losers/lvm, so they really shouldn't chose that hill to die on🥴

Yes indeed, you'll have less to lose remaining celibate with no children than picking a bum and struggling all your life with the consequences of picking a bad husband (especially if children are involved). I'll never understand the "you'll end up alone and childless🤪" gotcha scrotes love using against women with standards, when stats are literally showing unmarried/childless women are doing better than unmarried ones💀 (stats also show marriage last longer when spouse marry at an older age🤍) We have everything to win over not marrying.....unless it is with an actual awesome man that will unarguably improve our overall lifestyle. And it's a win win situation considering married men are actually doing better than unmarried ones - but only those worthy deserve this upgrade, sorry not sorry.🤭

Have you seen the story of the woman who ended up having her pregnancy video on a pregnancy porn fetishist website because her husband didn't respect her decision of never putting it on the internet? this one radicalized me. And that's why I'm having less and less patience with anti feminists acting like the concerns of some women about males disrespecting of female boundaries & safety weren't legitimate. I have so many things to say about how many anti feminist tradfem on this website show glaring characteristics of attracting lvcm (the c stands for "Christian" LOL) but that I already called them out enough for that 💅🏾

#check my tradfem tag for more lol #tradfem #answered #FDS #female dating strategy

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agirldying · 2 years

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2022 has been pretty rough for me so far. I graduate soon which is nice and all to not have to worry about school, but outside of school I don’t have much, especially recently. A few months ago, a really close friend of mine decided to cut me off and not long after, their friends made fun of me and also cut me off (which I’m not that upset about tbh because I never liked those guys anyway plus they always have excluded me from hanging out with them). I have other friends and all but they’re not like my ex-best friend sadly. In short, I’ve been stuck at home for pretty much my whole life and not really going out except for when I really need to. My ex-friend did visit me at home or would invite me out and since they’re gone, my oldest friend has been trying to fill their spot by hanging out and taking me places. I appreciate them, but sometimes I feel as if we don’t click as much. They work a lot and they’re mostly busy so we don’t hang out often, but I have a lot of time on my hands and most days I feel alone and lonely. I want to make more friends, but I don’t think it’s possible. I don’t have many interests and I have a lot of trust issues so I don’t think I’d be able to feel comfortable around people who won’t care much for me, the person who doesn’t talk. On top of that, I’m autistic and mask constantly and I already experienced being apart of a friend group while masking for years, they all made fun of, berated, and abandoned me and I don’t have the patience to deal with it all again.

My ex-friend was pretty much the only person I felt the most comfortable with and they cared about me the most, but I still felt the need to mask when I was around them, not so much before I got cut off, but I also wasn’t my full self due to not wanting to potentially be seen as weird or get any other negative reaction (which I knew probably wouldn’t happen, they were an amazing friend and adored me, but I was still scared of them). I tell my best friend about how much I miss my ex-best friend a little too much, but they usually tell me that they (ex-friend) were never a good friend to me and that I deserved better and that they (ex-friend) don’t care about me or that I was being manipulated and abused. I’m stuck between believing them (best friend) and thinking that my ex-friend will come back, but it’s frustrating to think about and that’s the only thing I really care about or find myself focused on. My best friend is surely tired of hearing about my inability to move on, but I really can’t help it. My old friend was my primary source of happiness and motivation; bad, I know, but what can I say…

I can’t really get back to how I was before no matter how much I try. I don’t have much energy, so stuff makes me tired really easily and I spend most of my time sleeping or lying in bed, also because I don’t have much else to do. I don’t like any of my old hobbies like drawing, animating, sewing, or cooking, I just want to stay in bed all of the time. I’ve been feeling this way long before the friend situation, but it surely hasn’t helped. I also just don’t have much enthusiasm for the future and all. I can’t drive because I’m not stable enough and I’m also unemployed currently so there’s not much I can do but go to school and come home repeatedly. It’s bumming me out really, like I don’t like doing any of this stuff anymore and outside of my social life (or lack thereof) things aren’t any better really. I feel trapped and I don’t want to feel that way, but there’s not much else to do, but sit and wait really (this is something people made fun of me for thinking, but it’s the truth, I can’t do much while making sure I’m comfortable or that my boundaries aren’t being violated). Sleeping is pretty much the only way for me to get by, but I hate sleeping so much but I also feel like I need so much of it. It’s a battle existing the way that I do and I hate it.

In sum, everything is frustrating. The world isn’t getting better, nothing is interesting, I feel like a burden, I can’t ever really be honest about how I feel and what I want, etc. I also just feel like a bad person through and through; I feel bad for having boundaries and wants and preferences, I feel bad for missing a person who doesn’t care about me, I feel bad for venting rn, it just feels selfish, but I don’t have much else going for me. I’m sorry I’m traumatized and neurodivergent and had a rough upbringing, I’m sorry my family doesn’t care about me, I didn’t mean for that to be an inconvenience I guess.

(Sorry for the long tangent.)

Hi anon,

First of all I'm sorry to hear about how your "friends" treated you, as well as the devastating impact that has made on you. It sounds like you have several symptoms of depression, namely with losing passion in activities you once enjoyed and feeling unusually lethargic.

As someone who battles with clinical depression, I feel compelled to recommend you seek professional guidance for it if you have the means to do so. I say that because depression is gnarly, and often needs a professional to diagnose and treat, possibly even medicate since it can be a chemical imbalance. You deserve to be happy and have passion for things you enjoy, so if you can afford it I'd strongly recommend looking into a therapist or psychiatrist in your area if you haven't already.

I'm actually wondering if you've looked into or might consider looking into befriending fellow autistics. I think this could work especially because I know as an autistic myself, we tend to be straightforward, honest, and loyal, and it sounds like those are qualities that have been severely lacking in your (presumably) allistic friendships. You could potentially look into various online groups just for autistic people, and perhaps go from there. At the same time I completely hear and understand the exhaustion surrounding making new friends, especially after the fallout of your previous.

Either way, I really hope you can get the help you need to not only feel more active and emotionally engaged in activities but to trust new friendships, as I think they could potentially be a significantly better replacement. I'm here if you want to update me on any of this or if you need anything in general.

#text #asks #trauma #trauma vent #vent #ptsd #depression #chai anon

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thewritetofreespeech · 3 years

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hc for how would the GOM boys and Kagami handle their gf when she's on her period?

Oh boy! Teenage boys and female anatomy. Let the hilarity insue

GOM + Kagami Health Class

Akashi

No idea what to do

Only child in what I can only assume is a conservative household, so he knows virtually nothing about female anatomy

Feels embarrassed by his ignorance.

Doesn’t understand why girls can’t just get over it at first. Then realizes that’s a shitty attitude to take.

Does better in the future, but it’s a long way to go.

Aomine

Surprisingly enough, he’s super good at this

He’s been friends & around Satsuki his whole life, so he knows about the changes girls go through

Been the brunt of enough Satsuki-PMS-rages to know what’s going on

Cue blanket nest and heating pads.

Bummed you can’t do sexy stuff for a while, but still happy to hold you & watch movies till you feel better

Kise

Knows what to do

He has 2 older sisters and is around a lot of women in his modeling job. He gets the idea.

Smothers her in kisses and tells her she’s pretty all the time

Wants his girl to feel beautiful even if she feels crummy

Sends funny snaps all day if he has to be at work to cheer her up and make her feel better

Kuroko

No clue

Not a lot of experience with girl. So it’s trial and error

Tries to give them space. Hopefully that’s the right thing to do.

Will give head pats. That seems to work.

Buys her all the vanilla shakes & fries from Maji Burger she wants. That seems to work too.

Midorima

Totally useless the first time this comes up

For a guy who’s so smart, he can be really dumb sometimes

Thinks she’s dying we he first heard she was bleeding

Wants to take his gf to the hospital the first time she has bad cramps

What’s a lucky item to have ‘good periods’? Is that even a thing?

Murasakibara

50-50 on the helpfulness scale

He has an older sister. So he knows about girl stuff. However, he has no full concept of periods.

He just know that they happen and, if experience has taught him anything, stay away

Kind of can’t do that with your gf

Will bring you all the best sweets and candies for your cravings when you need it. You can share it together. Take your mind off it for a while.

Kagami

Pretty chill about it

He grew up in California, which has a more informative sexual health program, and around Alex

So he knows about periods, and there’s nothing you can do, so roll with it

Makes you all the comfort food and will be your personal snuggle buddy/living heating pad on the couch if you need him to be

Keeps feminine care products in his house for you and Alex cause that shit sucks if you don’t have them around.

#;ask and ye shall receive (request answers)#kuroko no basket #kuroko no basket headcanons #knb headcanons #headcanons #kuroko tetsuya #kagami taiga #seijuro akashi #midorima shintarou #murasakibara atsushi #aomine daiki #kise ryouta #knb aomine #knb akashi #knb midorima #knb murasakibara #knb kuroko #knb kagami taiga #knb kise

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dancingthesambaa · 3 years

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The Smell Of Plum Blossom Tea Ch 5

Summary: Just like a butterfly wing, a single act of kindness can change the course of the future, it certainly did for MK as a black-furred monkey put out a hand towards him.

Rating: Teen and up

Chapter 5: By Your Side

“Next is the bag of chips, why he likes pizza flavor I will never know,” Mac muttered as he pushed his cart through the aisles.

The two teenagers in his care, at this point Mei might as well be one of his, had opted out of the grocery trip and decided to do their own thing on the other side of town. Still well perfectly within hearing distance, but he smartly decided not to eavesdrop on their conversations, he would rather not have two very creative, and vengeful, kids out to get him.

After he had grabbed the bag of chips and placed it in with all the many, many items in the cart, some of them were not even for him and the two kids as his friends tend to make themselves at home at times. He feels like he should be charging his friends for the amount of stuff he gets for them no matter how rich he may be.

‘Who even needs this many ghost peppers, 3 bundles of apples, a bag of soft sponges, industrial nail filer, and a goddamn indestructible chew ball,’ he internally ranted in his head as he went through another aisle, ‘What am I, their parent?’ They have their own damn jobs!’ He then looked through some of their teas available and his nose scrunched up as he picked up a box of passion fruit tea. “Who the fuck even likes passion fruit tea? That shit is way too sweet,” he grumbled to himself.

“Well store bought ones usually don’t have that same ‘Oomph’ as homemade ones,” a deep voice said.

“You’re telling me,” Mac agreed as he side glance at the man who was reaching for one of the teas on the top shelf as he couldn’t contain his eye twitch. ‘Okay, been in this city for gods knows how long, and in the span of less than a year I managed to find ones that are descendants or reincarnation of most of the fucking crew. What the actual fuck is this sort of luck?! I know that there are historians willing to sell their soul for even a trace of this, so what kind of fucked up luck am I getting that I just stumbled upon them.’

“Hm,” he, the overgrown beast of a demon that shared too much resemblance to Sha Wujing, titled his head to him. “Is there something the matter?” His eyes widen as he tries to look over his body and pants, “Do I have cat hair on me?! I thought I managed to clean the last of it off before I left.”

“No, no,” he waved him off, “just thought you looked familiar, that’s all.”

“Oh well in that case,” the large man shifted his basket to his other hand and stuck out his right, “my name is Sandy, it’s nice to meet a fellow tea lover.”

Macaque stared at the hand for a bit before giving a small smirk and shaking it, “Name Macaque and right back at ya big lug.”

“Personally I like the Biluochun Tea,” Sandy said as he plucked up a box of Chamomile, “but unfortunately they have yet to fully bloom in my garden so I am making do with a substitute,” he joked.

“Then how about Kuding?” Mac recommended.

“I may like the taste of bitter, but I don’t want that to be my only taste,” he admitted.

“Well I think it’s pretty good.”

“Let me take a wild guess and say that you don’t like sweet things.”

“I only tolerate for my kiddos,” he mumbled as he put the box of Junshan Yinzhen Tea, he already had a batch of Kuding growing out in the garden, so there is little point in grabbing a weak ass store brand tea that held not even the same resemblance to how it truly tastes. He tried a box out of sheer curiosity and immediately chuck that so far away, that thing that called itself Kuding tea is a disgrace to the true masterpiece.

“You have kids,” the demon piped up as he walked alongside the monkey.

“Technically one, but with the number of times she stays over, I might as well claim that hellion,” he grumbled as the two goes out of the aisle and towards the meat.

“Awww, that’s sweet,” he put his hand to his very muscular chest, “the only little ones I have are my adorable cats,” he then proudly showed off his wallet which had an assortment of different kinds of cats.

“Cute,” he admitted as he took in the collection of cats, “was this an all at once thing or more of a gradual.”

“Oh some were gradual, others were in groups, and some was just picked up,” he said as he put up his wallet, “Like one day I come home and find Mimi, one of my older ones, carrying the most adorable blue kitten,” he began to tell his tale of Mo as the two continued their shopping together.

“I’ll be with you in just a moment,” Pigsy yelled out as he served a tray full of steaming hot noodles to his other customers.

“Man, this place is packed today,” Mac said as he took the only seat on the counter, which was by the entrance. The place was brimming with customers, either loitering outside waiting for their order or just chatting amicably inside.

“Yeah, lunch hour kicks my as-butt each time,” he had to suppress a groan and put on a customer service grin as he watched another group stroll in. “Be with you in a minute!”

“I thought you had some staff? I know the last time we came in, we saw a driver leaving with the food,” he asked as he straightened out his lavender dress covered with floral print.

“Well,” Pigsy said after he finished taking orders and began making the food, “I had to fire that lazy bum after he called off so many times, a few I get, but how does 4 out of the five days you work help?! And you still expect me to pay you for a full two weeks of service?” He grumbled harshly as he then took a few of the clean bowls out.

“Yikes,” Mac grimaced, “…want some help?”

The owner paused and sharply looked towards the monkey, “you offering?”

“Yeah, don’t really have anything better to do, besides,” he showed off two more clones, which barely made people bat an eye as they were too engrossed in their meals and phones, “I am basically a one man army.”

Pigsy looked so wistfully at that power and quickly asked, “are you any good at customer service?”

“I volunteer at a theater,” he raised an eyebrow.

“You're hired,” the shorter demon threw an apron at him, “you’ll get paid by the end of the day.”

“Instead of that, how bout next time I drop by, food is on the house?” He bargained as he put on the apron.

“Deal,” he instantly agreed and he could feel a wave of relief wash over him as he now could focus on cooking instead of everything at once. “Next time why don’t you talk to Tang about how free meals work, maybe then his lazy butt can finally start paying me.”

“Why don’t you just not give him free food?” Macaque smirked as he saw a faint blush on the pig’s face.

“Shut up,” he muttered.

The monkey said nothing more as he put the apron on, turned to the group of people that was just seated, took out a notepad, and gave his most theatrical smile “Welcome to Pigsy Noodles, what can I get started for you?”

“So anyway, I have been looking through some of the books that I saw in an antique store, and let me tell you that I scored the motherload!” Tang excitedly said as he talked beside the lake. “Guess what I happened to find.”

“What?” The creature prompted him as he casually floated in the water.

“You have money? You actually have a job,” the other being questioned, “and you still let Pigsy pay for your food?”

“It’s a journal that tells the tale of someone who got trapped in the spiritual world after a failed ritual!” He exclaimed as he steadfastly ignored the previous question.

“Pffftt,” he sputtered out a laugh.

“I don’t know about you but isn’t it usually a bad thing when someone gets trapped somewhere,” Macaque drawled out as he chewed on a plum as he stretched out on the grass with a baby monkey clinging onto him. Ní, who decided to chill in her rabbit form for some reason, also nodded as she laid down on the sunlight grass. “Also, you haven’t answered my question.”

“Well she obviously is alright since she wrote this book and all,” the historian tried to defend himself as he still didn’t answer.

“Surrree.”

“It’s true, you agree with me right Shu,” he turned to the water demon.

“Absolutely,” the Shui Gui cheekily said.

Tang shot a smirk at him.

“He agrees with anything he finds funny,” he rolled his eyes.

“Well anyway,” he took out the book and showed it to them, “this book illustrates how Chi-Chi journey through the treacherous parts of the realm, tricked many dangerous beings, gazed upon the beauty of the uncharted, and met so many spirits and immortals along the way!”

“Is that so,” Mac hummed.

“I would give an arm and a leg to meet an immortal or even a spirit,” he said unblinkingly then he went back to his fanboy mode, “I would have so many questions to ask them!”

The 2 immortal beings shared a look at each other as the monkey then put a hand over the spirit’s mouth to stop him from saying anything.

“Don’t you even think about it Kappa,” he warned him.

The drowned spirit just gave him a cheeky grin as he raised his webbed hands in the air.

“I swear,” Macaque grumbled as he put down his hand, “how the hell did the two of you even become friends?”

“He fed me some beef jerky,” he happily explained, “and that was the start of a beautiful friendship.”

“And he never once comments on why you always hang around the lake and not anywhere else?” He incredulously said.

“Nope!”

“Adrenaline junkie I swear.”

“You say something?” Tang called out as he paused his fanboy mode.

“Just talking about your obvious crush on Pigsy,” Mac facepalmed when the spirit just had to say that of all things.

“It’s not a crush!” Tang marched up to him with his ears redder than an apple, “Can’t someone just appreciate another person's attractive qualities?”

“Yes, yes you can,” he agreed.

“Good,” the fanatic crossed his arms, “then you can safely assume that-.”

“Butttt you have a fancy for the pig,” the spirit ended.

“NO I DO NOT!”

“The sheer irony is actually ridiculous,” Mac said to himself as he slowly petted the infant.

“Ooo oo,” the baby macaque cooed.

“No, you cannot eat my tail.”

“You know, I’m getting real tired of those idiots' constant fighting,” Macaque grumbled as he petted a very fat and very fluffy cat.

“Tell me about it,” Sandy nodded his head as he drank some tea. “They have been at it for almost the second they met each other.”

“I swear I am so close to just shoving them both in a closet alone and letting them deal with it.”

“Yeahhh, that might not work so well,” Sandy drawled out as he set down his cup.

“Why? Cause it won’t be right,” he mocked.

“Well there’s that, but also there’s the fact that it would absolutely do nothing at all and just lead to them bickering more,” he pointed out.

“You, unfortunately, have a point,” he slumped back as another cat crawled on top of him.

“Also, I may have already tried that.”

“Wait? Really?” He sat back up and looked at the blue demon’s sheepish expression.

“Let me just tell you that seeing it on t.v does not really work the same way as real life,” he still remembered how they were both mad at him for locking them in a room together.

“Tell me about it,” Mac already knows the pain as both MK and Mei went through this phase as they tried to do the most ridiculous stunts or experiment with dangerous chemicals. Luckily he managed to stop or save them in time, but there were a few times where he was preoccupied or just missed it. Let it be known that they both learned their lesson after breaking bones and a fierce rash all over their arms. He still doesn't know what they were trying to prove with the lacquer tree. “Oh yeah, how did it go with flicker the other day? Didn’t give you too much trouble?”

“Oh nothing I couldn’t handle,” Sandy smiled at the mention of his newest client, “Can’t tell you much cause of confidentiality and whatnot, but he is open to another session.”

The monkey nodded, “that’s good, Gods know he needs it, now if Raki was more amenable to the idea, but she is the most prideful person I know and that is including her husband.”

The blue demon winced, “yeahhh I can see how that might be a bit difficult.”

“You're telling me.”

“Focus,” Macaque yelled out as he nimbly dodged a flying kick, “remember that when you strike, you make sure that strike will be your last.”

Mei didn’t say a word as she growled at her missed shot and jumped towards him then fainted for an upward cut then quickly proceeded to go into a low roll as MK came up from behind with a high kick.

“Good plan you two,” he praised as he simply jumped above MK’s head and said, “but try going for a grapple next time, it would have been more effective to topple me over rather than try to catch me off guard in the air.”

MK flipped backward and attempted to grab onto his tail, which he quickly realized was a mistake as he felt the tail wrap around his arm and flung him to Mei, who was charging at him.

“If I was an unskilled fighter then that would have been quite an effective weakness to exploit, but it’s too bad I’m not,” he mocked the two as he caught Mei sword with one hand and MK escrima stick with the other and casually tossed them back to the edges of the tree line.

“Oh come on!/We almost had him!” Both teens yelled out as they simultaneously punched a tree in frustration, which left a handprint etched into the wood when they took it out.

Only Macaque noticed this as both of the kids elected to split off from each other and try to attack him from both sides. “Guess they have adapted quite well to my energy,” he mused as he watched them run towards him, “Probably should tell them to take it easy else they’ll break their bones, again.” He then easily began to dodge from both of their attacks as they gave it their all to finally hit the damn monkey.

And this how it continued, with both seventeen year olds working together to finally land a hit on the speedy monkey, only for it to fail every time.

“You're getting better,” he said as he looked down on the two exhausted teenagers trying to catch their breath.

“One day,” Mei took a long deep breath before continuing, “one day, I don’t know when, but one day I will punch that damn smug off your face.”

“Ditto,” MK raised his hand in the air then dropped it then pushed his loose hair out of his eyes.

Mei saw this and gave a faint snort, “you know I can help with your hair-”

“I’m not putting pigtails in my head again,” he deadpanned.

“Come on, I can even get fluffy to join.”

“How about no,” he bluntly said as handed them two cold water bottles, “take a breather breezy, starlight. We can resume in a few minutes.”

“Okayy,” they moaned out.

“Awww, but I bet you would look cute in pigtails,” they all turned to see Minsheng hop in with a few others as well, “I know there will be a lot of demons just willing to pay for a pic, just think of the money.”

“Remember the glitter,” Macaque growled out.

“The bunny paused and crossed their arms as their friends laughed behind him, “ Well I’m just saying.”

“It took them ages to get all that out,” Daiyu stated, it didn’t even come off until a full month has gone by, and yet they still found small patches in their fur.

“Almost killed him when he tried to hug me with that on him,” Bohai huffed as he glowed a bit at the horrible image of him even having a speck of that abomination on him.

“They looked like my gremlin’s arts and crafts masterpiece when they were five,” Yanyu chortled.

“It was indeed horrible,” Ahmed lowly chuckled out as he slowly trailed behind them all, then all demons, and adult human, in the vicinity paused.

“Oh right this,” the bluenette human almost hit herself at how quickly she forgot, “we did come here for a reason.”

“Voices gettin to ya,” the long-furred monkey easily asked the lion demon.

“They have been a bit annoying,” he gave a weak chuckle.

“I feel ya,” he turned to his kids, “go towards the tree line with the rest of them, it seems that class will have to be cut short.”

“Okay?” Both were very confused, but obliged by the demon words as they walked over to the group, only to be pulled back by Bohai. “Hey!/What?”

“Oh trust me,” the jellyfish demon said, “you do not want to be anywhere near Ahmed at the moment. He’s a bit...unhinged.”

“Him? But he’s a total softie,” Mei shot a look to him.

“He let Mei put ribbons in his mane,” MK added.

“Oh there’s no doubt about Med squishy heart, but there are times where he just has to cut loose, ya feel me,” the vulture just received confused looks.

“Just watch,” the bunny demon grinned and took out a bundle of golden carrots, and began to eat.

“What do you mean-,” she was cut off by Macauqe voice.

“Come at me you overgrown cat.”

They saw Ahmed give a grateful nod before he went on all four, not even caring about his messing up his robes, and his body started to spasm as he let out a fierce roar that made everyone in the vicinity cover their ears.

ROAAARRRRR

He then flickered out of view and the monkey quickly had both his arms crossed in front of him as a plume of dirt and dust gathered around him without warning. It was only when it was settled that the demons and humans saw that the once flat field now had a decent crater in the middle with both lion and monkey. Ahmed gave a low snarl as he saw that the monkey was not harmed.

“Aww baby cub claws not working,” he mocked him as he sent a hard kick to his jaw, “how bout I help ya there.”

He growled as he quickly grabbed the monkey’s leg and flung him to the ground, he gave a nasty grin as he saw blood trickle from his head.

“Wouldn’t get too cocky, haven’t you already tasted the blood trickling out of your jaw?”

The lion stilled as he tasted the metallic tang covering his tongue, he let out a low growl in frustration.

“First blood to me,” was all Mac had to say before the lion gave a roar and lunged at him, thus the fight beginning once more.

MK and Mei were stunned silent as they watch the vicious battle as each time Ahmed tried to throw an attack it would either get dodged or redirected, but if he did manage to land one blood was always shed. Macaque was the same way as each time he managed to strike him down they swore that they heard bones loudly breaking.

But neither side gave in.

“Terrifying right,” they were slightly startled by Yanyu’s voice and couldn’t help, but fall over as they saw, not only her, but everyone casually laying down and/or eating.

“Oh don’t give us that look,” Daiyu said as she hummed and watched the lion attempt to claw the monkey's eyes out, “it’s only some bloodshed, nothing major. Though it would be more thrilling if a certain spider bitch was involved, I would love to see her blood splattered out,” she lowly huffed.

“What she means to say is that Macaque has this well in hand, this isn’t his first time dealing with ol Meddy when he’s primal,” Bohai tried to comfort them.

“Primal?” MK questioned.

“Basically it’s when someone instinct takes over,” Minsheng explained as they munched on their carrot while watching Mac throw him harshly to the ground, “sometimes it’s a good thing like you stuck in a corner and you got a colony you need to protect behind you, it’s one hell of a boost let me tell you. Other times not so much.”

Both kids blinked at that lackluster answer.

“What they mean,” Bohai continued as they casually looked away from Ahmed sinking his teeth into Macaque shoulder, “is that other times the bad times, to put it bluntly, it’s when the voices get so loud that it begins to control your entire being until you finally get rid of it. If you're lucky, it can be as easy as sleeping, if not well,” he looked at where the six-eared monkey had ripped his shoulder away from Ahmed red stained fangs and proceeded to knock out a few teeth in retaliation. “That.”

“He becomes bloodthirsty,” Mei quietly says.

“Yeah,” Yanyu softly brought them down next to her as she gave them a bag of popcorn, “it’s not pretty, but he just has to let it out.”

“But why is Dad the one fighting him?! Why not any of you!” He half shouted in nervousness and anger as he looked towards the demons, specifically Daiyu.

“Well I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a death wish,” Bohai bluntly stated.

“Here here,” Sheng raised his hand.

“Tried that once and I was beaten in a minute flat,” the vulture huffed, “if Mackie wasn’t there then my body would have been a nice dinner to the rest of the wake.”

“Thus their first meeting,” the bunny added.

“Wait, Mac Mac first time meeting Ahmed was when he was beating the shit out of Daiyu and then to each other,” Mei asked.

“Yep,” they collectively said.

“And he is literally the only one able to fight against him?” MK questioned.”

“Yep,” they repeated.

Both teens took a glance as the monkey continued his vicious strikes against the lion, who attempted to decapitate his head every time, but each time he missed he instead decimated any boulders in the unfortunate vicinity into dust. The primal lion retaliated with his own thundering roar, but Macaque was fast enough to dodge the attacks that uprooted a grove of trees.

“Well there goes any small lingering doubts on how he was able to go toe to toe with the Monkey King,” Mei deadpanned as she slumped and stuffed her hand into the popcorn.

MK followed suit as he ate some popcorn, “you’re telling me.”

“He is kicking major monkey ass right now.”

“I am so happy that he is going easy on us,” the ponytail boy whispered out.

“Holy shit, no kidding,” she agreed, “just think, we could have been less than paste on the side of the road with a single hit if he actually tried to let loose with us.”

“Nahh, you don’t have to worry about that,” Min waved their worries off, “other than this, the only other time he actually lets loose is around his exes.”

“I’m sorry, his WHAT?!/Wait? WHAT?!” Mei and MK sat up as Mei continued, “what do you mean exes?!”

“Dad dated?!?!?” MK followed suit.

“Oh yeah,” Yanyu grinned, “I even met some of them, and let me tell you that he has horrible taste in partners.”

“I don’t think it’s his fault that most of them fall on the insane scale and not in a good way,” Bohai deadpanned.

“By insane you mean impulsive as shit that tries to fight anything that moves, then yeah,” Daiyu nodded.

“It’s weird hearing those words coming from you,” the adult human teased.

“Hey, I may like fighting, but even I have my own limits. His partners take the entire train and then the second one charging at em.”

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around Dad dating,” the seventeen year old muttered as he gripped his head as he looked towards the blood stained battle. “This I can get, but dating?”

“…I am so never gonna let this go,” a twinkle of mischievous appeared in Mei's eyes as she looked at them, “sooo if you had to guess, which one is his most insane, or worst, partner.”

“I have to say Hui, that scorpion bastard seemed nice enough, but she was a raging alcoholic that always tried to get into the celestial realm for some booze” Sheng started as they stuffed the rest of the carrot in their mouth.

“Ju. He was a fishy one, that turtle was always looking for his next meal, no matter where it came from,” Bohai grumbled.

“Might have something to do with nature,” Yanyu teased.

“Shut up.”

“Both of ya are brain dead if you forgot who really takes the crown,” the winged demon interjected.

“Who then?”

Daiyu and Yanyu just looked at each other before saying, “Lemur bitch.”

“Fair point,” both aquatic and land demons replied.

“Who?” Mei asked, but it was met with grimaced faces.

“Just,” Bohai began, “just pray you never meet him, Shun is-,” he was cut off by a loud yell.

SLAM

“WE DON’T TALK ABOUT HIM!” Macaque screeched while all his ears flared up, his eyes twitch violently with a wild look. “NEVER!” He repeated as he pressed his foot and staff on the lion’s back, who was just growling out and thrashing wildly under him.

“Yeahhh, let’s just say that after him, doc swore off on dating,” Yanyu sighed as she ate a handful of popcorn.

“But what did he do?” MK said as he was careful to avoid the name.

“Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“But I really do,” Mei leaned in.

“No you don’t.”

“But I-,” she got a mouthful of popcorn stuffed in her mouth.

“You don’t,” Yanyu pulled back her hand, “now let’s watch them beat the shit out of each other. 20 on Mufasa knocking him out this time.”

“I’ll add to that,” Min added.

“Well I bet 25 that Dad will knock him out!” MK shouted, “there’s no way he’ll lose.”

“And I’ll double that,” Mei joined in after she swallowed the popcorn, “no way pops is losing to an overgrown cat!”

“Get ready to eat your words.”

“The only thing I’ll be eating is some delicious double truffle swirl ice cream with your money.”

“Let’s just see about that.”

(Minsheng soon regretted those words as both Mei and MK happily ate their ice cream alongside a bandaged, but still a very conscious monkey, and a bruised up lion who was contently knocked out.)

“And that should be the last of it,” the eighteen year old boy grinned as he then noticed a violet headband hanging next to a stuffed monkey, “whoops, can’t forget that.” He quickly snatched it up and proceeded to put his hair in a ponytail then began to look around his room.

The room, once filled with clothes spread all over the floor, glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, pictures and posters covering the walls, now laid bare with only a few boxes left to the side filled with them all. MK couldn’t stop the sad grin that formed on his face as he took in the sight of his room-old room, he was going to miss this, but he felt that it was time to move out and try living on his own for a while.

Knock Knock

“Sorry I’m not in right now, leave a message,” he jokingly said despite fully knowing who is on the other side.

The door swung open to reveal Macaque fondly rolling his eyes, “Where’d you get that snark from, I’ll never know.”

“Neither shall I.”

The monkey looked around the room, “so it looks like you're about done, you gonna bring it all over to Pigsy?”

“Most of it, yeah, but I have a separate pile I'm donating or giving to Yan munchkins,” he pointed to a few boxes titled ‘Donations’ and ‘Yanyu Gremlins.’

Mac smirked at the name as he gave a little walk around the bare room and noticed that where the bed used to be was a splatter of red paint and a dent in the wall, “huh, so how did this happen?”

MK froze as he saw what he was looking at and gave a nervous grin, “so remember when Mei was over and we had a bunch of paint for that art project.”

“The one about the deities or the one about nature?”

“Nature, and well remember how you found us covered in paint in here.”

“After I told you to keep it in the kitchen or outside so it won't be too hard to clean up, yes.” He deadpanned.

“And we did at first,” he put a finger up, “buttttt I left some of my materials in my room and it was alot, so Mei followed, but we kinda forgot that we still had wet paint all over us and we began to freak out. One thing led to another and Mei may have accidentally used too much force as she was panicking and let to the dent in the wall, which then made us panic even more, so we had the idea of moving the bed to cover the dent, which worked...except now the covers had paint on it and well....”

“Is how I found the both of you freaking out on the bed covered head to toe in paint,” the monkey snorted.

“In hindsight, we probably should have taken off our shoes before walking inside,” he scratched the back of his neck and sat against the wall opposing the window.

“That would have been a smart idea, took us ages to get it all cleaned,” he smirked as he sat beside him.

The teenager sighed as he looked out the window, “I'm gonna miss this.”

“Pfft, who says you can’t come back?” He playfully ruffled his head, “this isn’t a goodbye, but a see you later, you're always welcomed back home anytime.”

“Even if I screw it up time and time again,” he leaned into the touch.

“Even if you managed to wreck the whole country and have a bounty coming from the heavens that could feed nations for lifetimes,” Mac shot back.

MK laughed at the image, “Havoc in Heaven’s sequel, now with more monkeys.”

“And dragons,” the demon added.

“Mei would kick so much ass.”

“She absolutely would,” he chuckled as he continued to thread his fingers through his son's hair.

It was silent and, like so many times before, the two of them took only comfort from it.

“Dad,” MK quietly began.

“Yes comet.”

“… I’m scared,” he curled up into him, “like super duper scared and I have never left you ever since you saved-,”

“You would have-,” Macaque interjected.

“Saved,” he emphasized, “me and I can never thank you enough for just being there but I really want to do this and I really want to try to do things on my own! But I don’t know why I am so scared-wait I do, but it just so stupid and I can’t believe that I feel this way, cause you won’t just up and leave, but I-,” he stopped as he felt his Dad arms encircle him.

“It’s a scary step and I know change is terrifying, but I am so proud that you want to do this. It will be hard, no doubt, and at times it may seem like the whole world is against you, but know that you still have tomorrow waiting for you. So,” he tilted his son's head, “keep your head held high and look towards the stars, cause that right there is your limit starlight.”

MK smiled at his father's words.

“Also I think you may have forgotten something,” he showed off his six ears fluttering. “I have six ears for a reason, so if you ever need help or just need me, just call and-,”

“You’ll come running,” he grinned as he pushed himself further into the monkey's soft fur.

“And don’t you forget it,” he pushed his face into his son's hair and gave a soft kiss on top.

“I won’t,” he whispered out and clutched onto him tightly as both curled up in content.

#lego monkie kid #monkie kid #mk #macaque #PlumTreeAU

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serenityseventeen · 3 years

Text

Love & Letter: To The Thirteen Boys I've Loved Before

The Eighth Letter

----------------

To: Xu Minghao

From: Y/N

Dear Minghao,

I just want to thank you for being my friend despite my awkward confession, even if this current friendship might not last long. Actually, I don't think it will.

I'll be honest here since I didn't tell you this yet.

I spent a few years away from love. My high school years had so many different love stories and none of them exactly had a happy ending. They were all bittersweet endings and even the love story with you is a bit bittersweet.

I guess I misinterpreted your actions. I'm not mad or extremely sad that you rejected me, I feel like that put me in my place. Now that I think about it, maybe we weren't meant to be lovers. So, I don't want to drift away from you just because you rejected my confession. I'm not going to love you like that anymore, I want to keep you as a true friend.

I hope you won't feel awkward around me. I can already feel the awkward air but I wish for it to fade quickly. Let's not stop being friends. I'll stop loving you though. I hope you won't think of me differently now that I've confessed. I feel like you would pretend that it's fine but inside, the awkwardness only grows.

As I'm writing this letter, the fate of us is still being determined. Even I don't know what we are going to become. If the ending for us is unhappy and we decide to stop being friends... Well, I would blame myself for it. I would be losing a friend that I adored.

MinghaoI won't ever talk about my confession again so I'm writing this.

, you're a really attractive guy. I'm sure that anyone would fall for you if they got to know you. You're fashionable, fun, kind, warm-hearted, and also a great therapist, haha. You give me the best advice and always listen to my problems whenever I need to let them out. You always encourage me to speak up.

Remember that one time when I was getting yelled at by the professor over a misunderstanding? I was just standing there like a complete idiot, listening to the professor's words of criticism when you stood up and said, “Professor, it wasn't Y/N's fault. If you looked closely, you would have seen that the dress already had holes in it from the beginning. It was a part of the design. As a fashion professor, how could you overlook that?”

Your expression was so serious and you completely cornered the professor. I feel kind of bad talking about the professor like this but I just want to praise you. The professor apologized after class but I knew he was unwilling to admit his mistake.

When you stood up for me for the first time, you left such an admirable first impression. I wanted to get to know you immediately! You were so cool speaking straightforwardly like that and not hesitantly speaking your mind and standing up for me. I still admire you.

Minghao, honestly, I don't think we'll be okay.

The words still kind of hurt me. Whenever I see you, I think back on those words you said to me.

Since I was just a friend that confessed, I don't think you would remember your response to my confession, so let me remind you; not in a bad way. Since this is a keepsake letter, I just want to remind myself.

I think you and I were in front of an art museum together. You invited me along that bright, sunny morning, and of course, after realizing my feelings, I couldn't deny your offer. I was excited.

I'm sure you'll never know my side of the story so I'll tell you everything that happened that day and why it leaves a small scar in my chest. I'm not blaming you for it, I'm blaming myself. Minghao, it's all my fault.

Honestly, I was too expectant. Gosh... I was way too ahead of myself that day. Our friendly hangout in my head was a date.

After you invited me and told me that you'd come to pick me up in 30 minutes, I rolled out of my college dormitory bed and rushed everything. I did my hair, makeup, and tried to dress prettily for you.

I did my best in that short amount of time but the only thing you complimented was my outfit. Sure, I was happy, but also disappointed. I was bummed because I didn't even have a chance to breathe, meanwhile, you were looking as fashionable as ever with almost no effort.

The museum was fun. I always had a knack for art so everything was admirable and lovely. What made it better was that I was able to spend that time with you. We shared our thoughts with each other but to me, you looked way too serious. I should have gotten the hint then that you didn't feel the same way about me as I did toward you.

Suddenly, this lump started forming on my chest and I just felt like I should get it off. I didn't want to hold back anymore so after walking around the art museum, the words just slipped out of my mouth.

Then you went silent while staring at me.

“I'm sorry.”

I said it was fine then because I thought I was really fine with the rejection. But just a bit after, I realized that I couldn't ride in the same car as you. I wouldn't be able to. Everything came flooding back into my brain, the memories of us that I thought were memorable. That's why I told you to leave first. I'm sure you knew that we both were uncomfortable.

After you left, I just sort of... reminisced our sweet moments that seemed romantic enough to make us more than friends. I did that while taking a walk.

I especially remembered the days when we went shopping, worked together after courses and talked about our days. Even these things that seem so small held so many memorable things to me, including moments that made my heart pound and race.

Since you rejected me, friend-zoning me, I can only conclude that you don't like me back, thus the conclusion that these moments meant nothing more than acts of kindness.

Minghao, you shouldn't be so kind, or else people would misunderstand you, like me. Why must you be so attractive? You're masculine but at the same time, you can become so soft and cute and caring.

Anyway, at this point, you've probably lost interest in reading this letter (if you ever read it). I hope you'll trudge on though as I keep going forward with the reminiscing. I know that you like reading, Minghao.

So, when we went to the bookstore, there was something memorable that happened to me there.

Yes, it made my heart pound too.

Yes, it made me fall harder for you.

I was really sleepy that day. All the college work piling up only made me more stressed and I was so tired. You didn't know that I was, did you?

I ended up falling asleep at a table while you were choosing books.

When I woke up, I saw your face. It wasn't upside down, you were sitting next to me, with your head lying against the table, facing me. It's still a question to me why you did that when you could have just woken me up or sat somewhere else, but well, you rejected me.

You and I just stared at each other. I was wondering then, what were you thinking?

At that time, I didn't know how you felt about me, so every little thing was hope. Your face was so close to mine and our bodies were against each other slightly. I was able to feel your warm breath.

“Are you wide awake now?” You asked.

Minghao, when you asked that, I honestly got the feeling that you were nervous because you quickly got up and removed the book you have placed under my head while I was sleeping.

You? Nervous? I guess I was wrong.

Even now, I feel a bit hopeful that maybe sometimes, I did make your heart race, but that's all just false hope.

We went clothes shopping around a month ago.

You wanted to get some new hats and I tagged along because we were friends. While picking hats, we were talking about normal stuff that we always talk about, so I was busy with that conversation. I was talking to you while looking at hats and then suddenly, I felt a hat plop down on my head.

When I turned around, I nearly bumped into your chest. Your hand was still on my head, where the hat was placed. I was so nervous and my whole body was burning up, you know that?

After that, you had to attack again with your soft giggles and smile, making me completely melt.

Then, you took off the hat and patted my head and ruffed my hair, then continued the conversation as if you didn't just do that to me. Of course, you probably never knew how I felt.

This is the last one, I promise.

I picked this one carefully.

That day after courses. It was a rainy afternoon and we were together at the library, studying and working together.

It was getting dark but we didn't expect the rain so we didn't take umbrellas with us. We ended up staying at the library for hours, just talking.

That was the important, special part of this memory.

We talked a lot and I was happy. You made a lot of jokes and I learned a lot more about you. You also smiled a lot. I was just really happy to be around you, talking about your life and mine.

I don't know why this one is the most memorable for me. I just always, constantly, remember the scene of us sitting at a table in the library, talking to each other beside a window painted with raindrops.

I don't know if you felt it but to me, it seemed more like we were flirting.

Minghao, now that I've reached the near end of this letter, I think I've decided the future for us.

Let's not stay friends. I don't want to fall for you. I don't want to love you. Being your friend would only make it worse for both of us since you didn't feel the same way.

You asking me to your b-boy competitions, you asking me to look at your art projects, it was all just normal things that friends would do but I overreacted.

It's all my fault and I'm sorry for it. I'm sorry and I know that I can't fix our friendship. I was such a fool.

Minghao, I hope you can find a better friend than me; A friend that doesn't misunderstand you, a friend that can love you without falling for you romantically, a friend that can be better than me.

My love stories always have a bittersweet ending so don't worry, you're not the only guy.

Thank you for being my friend for a year. I really appreciate it. You were a great buddy, fun, kind, serious, and caring.

I'm sorry for being this way.

I'm sorry for what I did, though I can't take back my confession.

I shouldn't have fallen in love, right?

Sincerely,

Y/N

-----------------

7/1/21 - 10:28 pm

a/n: Get well! Wishing our best leader a healthy recovery!!! + it's the month of July, which means... Wonwoo's bday (and my sister's). + Ending fairy Boo = iconic ><

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zhuhongs · 2 years

Text

OKAY SO i woke up kinda sick and took medicine but the medicine made me worse but i still went to class when i rlly didnt need to bc only 6 ppl went and we just got extra credit, played a card game, and left early. in the middle of said class i learned its 100 percent not an option to study abroad in spring bc the japanese government its issuing visas. which i knew would probably happen and its a good thing financially for me to not go but im ofc still bummed. so now i must stick out the whole year teaching and i decided on a new approach and it will help but ofc it wont fix everything and its on me to make sure i implement it well. but thats the thing. i took this job hoping itd make me a more consistent, structured, and more.. firm person. i thought itd fix me. but no, i put myself in a job that'd force me to fix myself. it was always on me to do this. no one can do it for me. and now im getting to the hard part of acquiring those skills thru trial and error and its messy. and i ofc am young and can quit and learn this later but ik me. and if i do quit, i will just delay this change for indefinitely which will make it harder to pick up in the future. so now i must persevere and get thru it. no matter how painful bc it will help me in the end. but god is it painful and messy and embarrassing and not fair to my students but i need to do it at some point and now is as good as ever. so yea. and i legit. did the same thing my first year at retail. i was bad... extremely BAD at my job and it was embarrassing and frustrating . bc that was. retail... and im sooo used to doing things right the first time now bc most things i do now, are things ive been doing forever. or they are related to skills i already have had since i was young. so i dont remember what it was like to learn it. so now, pursuing smth completely different is scary and hard and i shut down bc im sooo used to being "naturally" good at stuff and i need to humble myself and work hard and fall and cry. and i dont like that. but if i dont do it now, then ill have to do it when im even older and that will make it worse so im just. sitting here, knowing i cant run away and i need to change. and i want to take the easy way out but there's no easy way out anymore. and this is what it means to be an adult.

and thats okay. I'll wake up bright and early on monday morning, put on my cap, tighten my hair in braids, and wear my uniform well. and i will be brave and i will do what i need to do. i will make sure i get done what i need to get done. and i will be better off for it

#theres a reason for this. i know that. in the future i will be thankful that i kept it up and learned.#and i will get my long earned chance at escapism soon. not now. and itll be worth it bc of all the waiting and growing i had to do first #but god. is the growing stage hard and painful. its just been a lot recently but soon ill look back on these days and thank them. they made #me who i will be in the future. 私はちょっと我慢して。我慢して我慢して。#これらの苦しいな日々は私に宝石になります。#きっと大事にして。でも今は悔しい、辛い。#でも我慢して #after all. thats all i can do #🐌.txt

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thegreenwolf · 4 years

Photo

(This post was originally posted on my blog at https://thegreenwolf.com/its-okay-to-not-hustle/)

There’s this meme going around Facebook right now, saying “If you don’t come out of this quarantine with a new skill, your side hustle started, or more knowledge, you never lacked time. You lacked discipline.” Thankfully multiple people have already skewered it, but it continues to be shared around by the sort of person who is trying to one-up everyone else, or who’s just plain clueless–or, for that matter, just trying to guilt you into buying whatever they’re selling.

Now, there’s not a damned thing wrong with self-promotion. That’s how indie artists, authors, and other self-employed folks get the word out. You have to be able to talk good talk in order to get people’s attention. But leading with this meme? Guilting people for not leaping from sudden unemployment straight into the thick of the ever-shifting gig economy? That ain’t gonna fly, Brocephus.

You Have Good Reasons to Slack

Excuse me while I dust off my counseling psych degree a sec, here. *ahem* We are in a very sensitive, turbulent time right now. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, the likes of which hasn’t been seen in a century in the Western world. We are in a hugely traumatizing situation here. Not just for the financial losses, but the fact that COVID-19 has killed thousands of people and left many more with permanent lung damage. We still haven’t gotten a handle yet on exactly how contagious this thing is, how long you’re contagious for, or whether you’re immune once you’ve had it, assuming you survive. We don’t have adequate testing, emergency rooms estimate that for every positive test there are 10-20 people out there infected and untested, and everyone with a cough is suddenly Schroedinger’s COVID case. Governments worldwide are slow to react in spite of the rising death toll. People have had friends and family die horribly from this thing in a short period of time. Even people who didn’t already have issues with anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses are feeling stressed, strained and scared–and, yes, traumatized. This image is guilt-tripping people who are actively being traumatized.

So we’re already starting with a populace that is dealing with this collective trauma, as well as whatever personal trauma each individual is experiencing. Not always easy to seize the day when you’re going through that. And I can think of a few other reasons that might further complicate this whole “Just get a side gig!” thing:

–They’re a parent who suddenly has all their kids at home, all the time, demanding time and attention and food, AND they still have to work eight hours a day from home, or maybe even more if their S.O. is unemployed/sick/etc. By the way, if someone trots out Isaac Newton or William Shakespeare or some other historical guy who managed to do epic things during a pandemic, remember that they usually had wives or servants to do all the laundry and cooking and cleaning and (if applicable) childcare for them.

–They’re disabled or chronically ill, and don’t have the ability/energy/etc. to just go and make something happen, just like that. Imagine if you just randomly got the fatigue from a really bad flu, and you never knew whether it was going to last a day or a month. And if you tried exerting yourself when you were feeling better, chances are you’d slip back into fatigue-land. That’s what a lot of my chronically ill/etc. friends have to deal with, to say nothing of issues with accessibility of resources for starting a side gig.

–They don’t have any money for the supplies needed to start a side hustle, or the supplies have been hoarded by hobbyists preparing for a Pandemic Staycation.

–They don’t have the skills for something that just requires what they already have (like, for example, writing on a laptop you already happen to own). Often these skills are things that can’t be perfected in a few weeks at home, but may take years to develop before they’re really marketable–like, for example, the skill to make a decent living on side hustles.

–They have anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions that make it hard to function even in the best of times, but even moreso in this…well…mess. Even people who were mentally healthy before are going to be developing diagnosable anxiety and depression disorders before all’s said and done. And speaking from personal experience, those of us who look successful on the outside can still be internally hamstrung by these conditions at times.

–Plus there’s the fact that we’re not supposed to, you know, leave our homes, which narrows down the field of potential side gigs by a lot.

Even doing something less financially-wrought like learning a new skill or subject takes time, energy, and sometimes money, any or all of which may be scarce for the reasons above and more.

Comparison is the Thief of Joy

I am saying all of this as someone who is arguably an expert on the side gig. I have spent the past eight and a half years 100% self-employed (and a lot longer doing it part-time) as an author and artist, able to cover all my bills and expenses, and for a time I was the primary breadwinner of a multi-person household. I have like ten different things I was doing for a living before this all hit, a pretty diverse set of streams of income, even if most of them just up and evaporated in the past few weeks. And while I’m definitely a hell of a lot leaner now than I was a month ago, I still have my head above water for the moment. So I think I know side gigs.

I’m one of the lucky ones. I’m overall healthy. I have a dog who is a lot less demanding of my time than kids would be. I have my own space where I can focus more or less without interruption. More importantly, I have the skills, the knowhow, the drive and the personality to go out and seek new opportunities. And I’m used to fluctuations in income, though admittedly this one’s unprecedented. Don’t gauge yourself by where I am now. I’ve spent twenty-two years building up my art business, my first book came out in 2006, and I’ve had a series of really good opportunities come my way that I had the privilege to be able to make the most of. I am not your measuring stick, so don’t say “Well, if she can do it why can’t I? I must suck!”

If you’re feeling crappy because you aren’t hopping to it and carpeing the diem and getting everything done, here’s what I have to say to you: Look, you just had your world turned upside-down. Job loss, scarce commodities, sudden lack of outside childcare, restricted movement and inability to be around much of your support system, and did I mention a pandemic is happening, too? Any single one of those things would be difficult for just about anyone to deal with, never mind all at once. And I don’t even know what all else has already been going on in your life–unstable or unsafe living situation, other health issues, breakups and other losses, interpersonal conflicts. You know, normal life stuff.

You’re Not Lazy, or Screwing Up, or (Gods Forbid) Undisciplined

It is totally okay if all you’re doing right now is surviving. It’s okay if you feel like you’re drowning, overwhelmed by all that’s happening both on a global level and more personally. It’s okay if all you can manage right now is to get out of bed and stumble through each day a moment at a time, struggling with a tidal wave of emotions. It’s okay if you’re just trying to keep your kids busy, dealing with a crowded home every single day, or trying to keep COVID-19 at bay. It’s okay if, instead of firing up DuoLingo or opening an Etsy shop, you spend your evenings vegging to Netflix or reading a book or playing hours and hours of Animal Crossing.

Not every moment in your life has to be about being productive even in the best of circumstances, and that goes exponentially so right now. Be patient with yourself, and be kind. You may be one of those folks who literally has to spend all their time scrabbling to try to cover the bills or get some leeway from bill collectors, and you have to dedicate your waking time hunting for resources just to try to get through this week. Believe me, I feel for you, I have a lot of friends in that situation right now, and I hope all of you can find some relief and assistance.

May I suggest something? If you have the energy for something more than the bare essentials of getting by, put that energy toward self-care, whatever you can manage under the circumstances. You can use it to recuperate, to rebuild your emotional and physical resilience. That way if things get rough again in the future, you have more internal reserves to build on. If your usual methods don’t work or aren’t accessible due to lockdown, ask others what they’re doing to keep themselves grounded in this trying time.

Just because you have more time doesn’t mean you don’t have to throw yourself right into something productive! Don’t feel pressured to just go-go-go the moment you have a little freedom to move. If you do decide you want to try a side gig, or a new skill, or learn all about some specialized topic of interest, go for it! If you have the energy and attention and opportunity to pursue something new, it can be a great coping skill during this traumatic time. Just don’t pressure yourself; keep it fun.

One last thing: I want you to save the image I have at the top of this post. And then if you see someone post that meme, saying “Come on, you lazy bums, get up and make that side gig happen! Learn new stuff! Do all the things! No excuses!” you pull out this version, and you look at the edits, you remember that it’s okay to be where you are, and you get back to doing things at your own pace no matter what someone else says. (I find visualizing stapling a printout of the edited version to the offender’s forehead to also be therapeutic, but that may just be me.)

Hang in there, okay? It’s going to be a rough time, but you’re not alone, and what you’re feeling right now is shared by so many people. So just let yourself be where you are in this moment, and we’ll see what hope tomorrow brings. And remember that whatever you’re capable of in this moment: it’s enough.

Did you enjoy this post? Please consider supporting my work on Patreon, buying my books here on my website, buying my art and books on Etsy, or tipping me at Ko-fi!

#COVID-19 #mental health #executive dysfunction #anxiety #depression #mine

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harryhoney-bee · 4 years

Text

Tonight

You have sex for the first time with Harry. Virgin!reader. This is the 3 and last part! Hope you guys like it!

Words count: 2.2k words.

Masterlist

You were driving to Harry’s house. Almost in his place, but you could not stop thinking.

It was Friday night.

Friday nights mean date nights with Harry.

Usually, you are excited for this day to come, but right now, you were anxious, not the “good anxiety”, like feeling butterflies on your tummy, but the kind you feel sweat in your hands and just wanna hide in your room.

The reason for your concern is… sex.

You got the sensation that tonight is the night. Tonight, you won’t be a virgin anymore, and the best part of it all, you will have sex with Harry, the best boyfriend in the whole world.

You were happy, of course, you were, but the stressful feeling and the fear of him not enjoying this because of your inexperience were having the best of you.

Before you notice, you were at his place. But something was off, all the lights were turned off, not just of his house, but the whole street. You park your car and leave it to go to the door, knocking; Harry was immediately at the door. He opens and gives you the prettiest smile and hugs you.

“Hey baby, I was a little fearful with you driving down the street with the light off, it can be dangerous”. And he smells your hair “Somebody came ready huh? Really good perfume, love”

And he leaves a little space so you could walk in. It was dark, but he managed to put on a lot of candles, so there were romantic vides, but also terror movies vibes.

Stop thinking of horror movies (y/n), come on.

“Of course, you like the perfume, you were the one who gave it to me, dummy” And you pack him on the lips for the first time. His hands go to your hips, holding you tightly deepening the kiss. With this kiss, you got no doubt, you were having sex, and you weren’t so scared anymore.

He ends the kiss and pats your cheeks. “You are gorgeous love; in the light of these candles you look so golden.”

You flush “You are not bad too, Hazz. Love you”

He puts a hand on the side of your shoulder, guiding you in the direction of the dinner table, which was set with a fancy set of red and yellow tablecloth. “Love you too, sit here while I go to the kitchen get the food”

You sit down and watch as his silhouette vanishes through the door. You look at the table, there was a big candle in the center of it, bit the side of a… bottle of red wine. You take a glass of wine and drink a little. You were in the half of it as Harry comes back with a recipient of Winter Squash Lasagna. And he sits with you.

“See that you already fond yourself with wine, love”

“Got to be ready for tonight, right? Alcohol may help a little” You chuckles.

“What do you mean by ‘ready for tonight’?” He askes while taking your plate and serving you food.

Oh my sweet Jesus, why do I respond? Does he even want to have sex with me? Last week when you gave him a blowie, looked like he wanted to do more stuff in the future, but what if he changed his mind?

You look away and start talking fast “Like, you know…sex? Isn’t what we are doing tonight? It’s been a week since the blowie and I just thought we both would like this to happen… I-I mean… don’t you want? ‘Cus it’s ok if you…”

“Baby, come down, will yah?” He says putting both hands on your shoulder for you to smooth. “First, we are not doing anything you don’t want to. Second, I wasn’t thinking of us having sex tonight, I invited you so we can chill, I didn’t know you were ready for sex. But if you are 100% sure, we can do this. It’s up to you my love. I would just enjoy dinner” And he smiles at you, now holding your hand, giving a sensation of security.

“I was overthinking, wasn’t I?” You ask, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Just a little bit, love. But I am serious, I am up for anything you want to do, just want you to feel good” And he starts to eat, and you do as well. You even forgot about the dinner in front of you.

“I-I want to, like, really want. I am just a little nervous. It’s my first time, and my first time with you... so, it’s a bit overwhelming” You says “By the way, this lasagna it’s amazing, Hazz”

He chuckles “Thanks baby, learned it from my mom. And you don’t need to feel overwhelming about anything. It’s just us having sex, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is” You smile, feeling comfortable.

You both finished your dinner, and the subject of sex was long forgotten. Even you forgot it, the one who was so uptight about it. You take the dishes and put them on the sink, raising your sleeves to start washing them. But Harry hugs you from behind. And whisper in your ear.

“What about you leave these dishes, huh?”

“But for them, you would have to clean them up, and it’s no fair, you already made all the food”

“Come on baby, don’t be stubborn. Let’s go to my room, are you okay with that?” He asks, kissing your neck

“Yeah, let’s go”

He holds your bum, and a little doing an impulse for you to jump, as you do it, you also clap your legs on your hips and start kissing him. He does his way to his bedroom, never leaving your mouth or the end of your ass.

As he both got into his bedroom, he lays you on the bed, ending the kiss and looking into your eyes.

“Hey, if don’t feel comfortable about something, let me know. And if you don’t want to do nothing at all, you also let me know, understood?”

His authority and softness give you a confidence boost. You needed him.

“Yeah, Harry”

“Good girl”

Harry starts kissing your neck, sucking on the skin. He leaves a trace of saliva in all on your neck, your nails go to his back, scratching his skin calmly.

You grab the hem of his shirt, taking it off his body. You couldn’t see much because of the darkness, and in his room only have one candle.

“Someone is in a hurry, huh?” He teases you, biting on your ear.

He does the same with your shirt, leaving you just in a black bra. His mouth goes to your jaw, and his hands cup your breasts.

“So beautiful, love”

“Please Harry” You didn’t even know what you were asking for.

Harry holds your ribs bringing your body to his, this time, your mouth attacks the skin of his neck, as his hands open the lock of your bra, freeing your soft pair of breasts. His tongue immediately meets with your hard nipple. Now, your month it’s no longer connects with his body, instead, your hand passes through his hard, pushing it hard. You feel his tongue do zigzag in your nipple, sucking firmly.

He puts you on your knees on the bed, grabbing your jeans and bringing it down slowly, kissing your tummy, from your belly button to your hipbone. You help him take your clothes, leaving you only in your panties.

You do the same to him. His belt and pants are along with the rest of your outfit on the floor. Both of you are feeling like horny teenagers, and it feels great.

Harry hovers over you, your bareback reach the steady mattress. He kisses you passionately.

“Can I touch you, baby girl? See if you are ready for me?”

“Yes Hazz, please do it”

His fingers go underneath the fabric of your underwear, he plays if your labia, before going to the beginning of your entrance and feeling the wetness there was.

“So wet love, just for me”

His fingers start to rub your clit fervidly, and his other hand cups your jaw, holding it tight and your lips met again.

“Harry, let’s do it, I need you”

“Ok princess, just let me know if you have any discomfort”

He drags your panties down to your heels, and you just throw the fabric on the floor, as well as his boxer, his hard member is free.

You are both bare.

You cup his cheeks and kiss him. He positions himself in your cunt.

“I’m going, ok love?”

“Ok, baby,” You say with an anxious voice.

You feel his head in, he slides a little more, but stop as your face does not look so good.

It hurts bad, you know the first time is not supposed to be all pleaser, but man, it hurts.

“How does it feel, darling?” He asks, worries on his face.

“Don’t feel good Harry, like, stings, I don’t know. But keep on going, the pain will go away.” You say and kiss his nose.

“Just tell me if you want me to pull off. I’ll stay still until you say so. But I’ll make you feel good, my love” He packs you on the lips, and his fingers go to your clit, rubbing it.

You moan, it was getting better.

5 minutes, and then you feel the urge for him to move.

“Hazz, you can move, put it all in”

“Are you sure, babygirl?”

“yeah,” you say between your moans. His hands are amazing.

He does as you askes, the feeling of burn stays.

“You are so fucking tight,” He says and attacks your lips, rubbing your clit even more.

“You can move Harry, but do it slowly, please”

“Yeah, alright baby girl, so good you are”

He starts thrusting in and out, slowly. When all of he is out of you, it’s hard to pull it back inside, because you are so snug inside.

His fingers do wonder in your clitoris, they go from right to leave, left to right. His kisses are so wet, it all feels good, the pain is still there, but in less intensity. And then you feel in your belly, the feeling of bliss. Your back raises as your orgasm comes.

“Harry, I think I’m gonna cum” You say with a whisper

“Come to me princess, I got you, come on, I am so close too, my love”

His mouth meets your nipple, and you can’t hold the bliss anymore.

Moans leave your mouth as your hold Harry’s hair. You feel your cunt walls squeezing his cook. And your orgasm washes over you.

“Damn baby, you so fucking hot, gonna cum, want my cum, darling?”

“Yeah, give it to me, Hazz”

And he does, your cunt milks him dry, everything he has to give to you, he gives.

He moans feel so good in your ear.

He falls, putting half of his weight on you.

“We did it,” You say, looking at him, he was fucked up

“We did it, you are not so innocent anymore, my baby”

Your giggles and hit him on the shoulder. As you do this movement, you feel him still inside of you, and the business comes out again.

“Harry, can you pull out? It hurts a little”

“course baby girl, I’m sorry,” He says pulling out of you, when he does it, he sees there is a little bit of blood on his dick, your tights, and in the mattress.

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom, ok baby? I’ll bring a towel, it’s a mess down there” And he kisses your forehead, you blush hard.

“Mm, ok”

You see him leaving, when he does it, he grabs his boxer but doesn’t wear it.

You start to feel something leaving your pussy, so you go and take a look.

Man, it was a mess, there was Harry’s cum, your wetness, and blood. You felt a little embarrassed, but you knew it was normal to happen with some girls.

After some minutes he comes back with a towel, this time wearing his boxers.

“How are you feeling, princess, does it hurt?” he questions you, patting your cheeks.

“It stings a little, but I think I am ok. I enjoy it very much” You say smiling at him.

He chuckles “I did it too, it was amazing, wasn’t it? But right now, I need you to lay down, so I can clean you up”

You do as tell.

“Open up, princess”

You open your legs for him and feel the friction of the soft fabric against your skin.

“Don’t put too much pressure, it stings a little”

“Sorry baby, but you are already cleaned up. Just finished here” And he places the towel on the side of the bed “Wanna take a bath? Or eat something? Are you in anyYeahd of pain? Or are y…”

You interrupt him with a pack on the lips.

“I am ok baby, thanks, just wanna cuddle”

“I can give my baby a lot of cuddles,” He says, putting you on his laps, laying them both on you down.

“You are my baby, (y/n).”

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lanonima · 3 years

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First review of the new year! I also decided that once I hit twenty, I'll start a new graph because this one is getting pretty crowded. There's plenty of open space, but I'm not likely to read stuff in that open space so…

Anyway, my review of Copper Coins:

Romantic - Fucky is not how risque a work is but rather my opinion of the attitude/quality of the main relationship, the way the characters interact with respect to one another. I like a lot of stuff in fiction but if you’re easily made uncomfortable, stay towards the top half.

Easy reading - Plot-heavy is how I personally consider the plot’s intricacy and successful implementation, regardless of the author’s intention.

Copper Coins

Author: Mu Su Li

Quality: 5

Enjoyment: 4

Comments: Oof. I hate, absolutely hate, saying the phrase "show don't tell" about novels because it has to do with screenwriting and doesn't really apply to novels all that much but damn. This book was so surface level. I did not feel a single emotion the entire time. It actually reminded me a little bit of Nan Chan, and retroactively made me like that book better because I would definitely rather reread that than this. Not saying it's a bad book, I'm sure it's fine, and if you liked Nan Chan and want a relationship with a similar dynamic and are less of a bitch than I am, you will probably like this one too. It just doesn't have enough emotional depth to be entertaining to me.

Would I read it again: No, and I won't read anything else by this author either.

The reviews of things I previously read are below the cut.

Mo Dao Zu Shi

Author: MXTX

Quality: 9.5

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: I have a huge emotional connection to this novel. There are some weak parts, the tension isn’t quite even, she’s pretty terrible at erotic scenes and not great at fight scenes…but that being said, I love the characters and some of the plot points really ripped my heart out. This is a novel that’s really driven by the characters so if you’re a character-focused person like me, definitely look into it (as if we all don’t already know it lmao). I really, really love this story. Every single adaptation of it has also been great, but the novel is still my favorite. It was my introduction to xianxia novels too, so you can say it changed my life!

Would I read it again: I’ve already read it twice, and consumed every adaptation (sometimes also multiple times)

Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

Author: MXTX

Quality: 6

Enjoyment: 5

Comments: I’m not much of one for comedy and, as I discovered, not really into system novels either. Clearly weaker than MXTX’s later work, many of the characters are somewhat bland, she hasn’t quite found her groove yet. It’s not my style but the fandom is hilarious and the fans constantly produce content that I actually do find entertaining so overall I still have some fond feelings for this one, even if not for the source material.

Would I read it again: I found a different translation and am willing to try again in the future, I’m also willing to watch the donghua. But I can’t guarantee I’ll like it any more than previously.

Tian Guan Ci Fu

Author: MXTX

Quality: 10

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: I love this book…but not as much as I love Mo Dao Zu Shi. I think the plot is somewhat typical, however the characters are great once again (though maybe slightly less deep than MDZS), and her use of thematic repetition and foreshadowing are killer. Actually, I liked this book more the second time around because it just hits differently. Definitely the best of MXTX’s couples, they are so soft and sweet. Very long, but worth it.

Would I read it again: I already have, was personally translating the manhua before I hurt my arms, and am eagerly awaiting the donghua this fall!

The Villain’s White Lotus Halo

Author: A Big Roll of Toilet Paper

Quality: 10

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: Fuck, I love this one so much…..even though it’s also a system novel. But that part is in it so rarely that it reads more like pure fantasy. I love the characters, I love the plot, I love the way the relationship is developing. Oh yeah, the translation isn’t even complete but I already purchased not only the original from JJWXC but also the print edition. I’ve even drawn fanart for it, which is so unlike me. Every time a chapter comes out, I’m ruined for the rest of the day, I can’t think about anything else. Good fight scenes, which is uncommon. My favorite danmei novel so far.

Would I read it again: I fully intend to once the translation is complete, and also plan to read it in Chinese later (I’ve already read certain parts in Chinese hahaha but not the whole thing)

2Ha (Husky and his White Cat Shizun)

Author: Meatbun Doesn’t Eat Meat

Quality: 8

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: 2Ha is not for the faint of heart, it’s very horny, and violent, and has a lot of questionable content. However I love it so much. The story and characters are great, Meatbun really has me by the heart. The writing is a little more on the casual side but it hardly matters because the story is so great. Good fight scenes. Chu Wanning is like, the ultimate Me™ character, I hate how much I adore him. If you read this, just go into it knowing that it’s a long emotional journey, the characters are very dynamic and there’s a lot of character development.

Would I read it again: Same as the above, I plan a reread when the translation is done and have read parts in Chinese and might read the whole thing again later. Cautiously eager about the up-coming live action and donghua.

Di Wang Gong Lue

Author: Yu Xiao Lanshan

Quality: 2

Enjoyment: 9

Comments: This is one of the most terribly written things I’ve ever read, but I’m a character girl and the characters and ways they interact fucking kill me. I’m constantly entertained….although I don’t think this is actually supposed to be a comedy. If I were going to treat myself and like, take a bubble bath and read something that made me laugh, this is exactly the sort of trashy romance I would want to read. Technically a political intrigue story but it’s so abrupt and full of holes, are any of us reading it for the actual plot? The donghua is on Youtube, I watched it first and recommend others to do the same. If you can handle that, you can handle the book because it’s exactly the same in quality, just gayer. I do love the main couple a lot, the set-up surrounding the relationship is great, and the side characters are also really fun.

Would I read it again: Probably not, but I’m still having fun with it. I watched the donghua and read a bit of the manhua as well, which has very cute art and is probably my favorite version of the story.

Liu Yao

Author: Priest

Quality: 6

Enjoyment: 7.5

Comments: I really struggled getting into this one, it took me about 25 chapters to get invested. Initially I had rated it a 6 in enjoyment but after careful thought, I realized that even though it was so hard for me, it probably is my favorite Priest novel and I really do love the main couple so much. Her side characters also seem to be slightly stronger than usual in this one. Decent plot, not too much or too little. It seems really chill to me, doesn’t provoke much of an emotional reaction but I do think it’s very sweet, which is nice sometimes too.

Would I read it again: No, but I think (?) it’s supposed to get some kind of tv adaptation (drama or donghua, not sure), and if that happens, I’ll watch it.

Didn’t Know the General was Female

Author: Rong Qing

Quality: 4

Enjoyment: 6

Comments: Not the greatest thing I’ve ever read, but cute. It’s short, and a little lesbian fluff is never a bad thing. Writing is a bit weak and the plot is basic, but the characters are enjoyable and I liked it overall.

Would I read it again: No.

Wrong Way to a Demon Sect Leader

Author: Yi Zhi Dayan

Quality: 4

Enjoyment: 7

Comments: Again, not the greatest in writing or plot, it’s a bit shallow. But I found the idea of it to be entertaining, and actually liked it more than I would have assumed. It’s fairly short and cute, like a good summer beach read.

Would I read it again: Probably not, but possibly, if the stars align.

Female General and Eldest Princess

Author: Please Don’t Laugh

Quality: 7

Enjoyment: 6

Comments: A very good first effort, but the writing is a bit weak. It’s slow to start and I don’t think the political plotline is spectacularly strong. Some things were left unexplained, and her sense of battle tactics and fight-writing were very confusing, definitely room for improvement. I don’t think it’s as good as people say, but she writes with the air of someone who will continue to improve. And also, a lesbian author writing lesbian stories so that’s a plus. Overall I enjoyed the experience, this story is definitely worth a read.

Would I read it again: Maybe, but probably not.

Sha Po Lang

Author: Priest

Quality: 7

Enjoyment: 7

Comments: Originally I rated this one higher, but on later thought I realized that I actually enjoyed Liu Yao more. I personally have issues with the way Priest writes, and this book showed a lot of them. Characters were okay, I did like the main couple, but side characters were weak as usual. The plot is pretty good, though not great, and I think some of the pacing is off. Some descriptions were confusing, but that could be a translation issue. Overall, still a pretty good political drama, but I would say that of the three I read, this was the Priest novel with the least impact on me.

Would I read it again: No. But I will watch the live action if it ever gets made.

Guardian

Author: Priest

Quality: 6

Enjoyment: 5

Comments: I love Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, thought the plot was interesting, and there were some enjoyable moments. But it has all the problems I usually have with Priest in addition to some choices that offend me as a queer reader. I spent about 75% of the time reading while pissed off. And actually the fact that it had a happy ending kinda bummed me out because I love a good tragedy. Overall, I can only give it an average score. If you like Priest, you’ll like this one too. I’m not a tv person but I binged the hell out of the live action, I really loved it, so I was sort of disappointed that the source material didn’t seem as strong as I had assumed.

Would I read it again: No, but I will happily watch the live action again some day.

Jing Wei Qing Shang

Author: Please Don’t Laugh

Quality: 9.8

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: I have to start off by saying: damn girl. The improvement evident in this book is absolutely insane. A few minor issues prevent me from giving it a 10 out of 10 – her transitions are still extremely abrupt, the ending is slightly weak and some plot points remain unresolved, and her use of narrative repetition is too heavy-handed for my taste. Other than that, this book leaves me almost speechless. Very similar to Female General and Eldest Princess, there are many similar themes and events. But while I thought FGEP was fairly cute, I like this one way better. If you like angst, political intrigue, and lesbians, you should definitely read this book. I have no doubt that Please Don’t Laugh will continue to improve in the future, and I really look forward to following her career.

Would I read it again: 100%, I absolutely intend to read this again sometime in the future. It’s very long and very dense but delightful and ultimately worth it.

Fox Demon Cultivation Manual

Author: Feng Ge Qie Xing

Quality: 8

Enjoyment: 10

Comments: This was a delightful romp. I had expected it to be somewhat silly and was pleasantly surprised. It was heavy enough to be engaging but light enough to be an easy read, with multiple spots that made me literally laugh out loud which does not happen often. This is apparently just one book in a series of same universe novels, and a lighter-hearted one at that. I would be interested to read the others because I found the world pretty engaging, and I do want to know what became of the other characters. Overall I found it very fun and very cute, I read it in four days so that says something. On the downside, the link for chapter 9 is broken. But skipping a chapter doesn’t seem to have affected the experience of the novel as a whole.

Would I read it again: Yeah I think I would be willing to read this again someday. If it gets adapted I would also consume adaptations, in addition to being interested in the other connected works.

Golden Stage

Author: Cang Wu Bin Bai

Quality: 6

Enjoyment: 7

Comments: This one has some Sha Po Lang vibes, but the characters have more depth and chemistry. The word ‘more’ here is extremely relative because it’s still pretty shallow. I honestly liked them both, I liked the relationship and the psuedo-rude way that they flirt entertained me. As for the plot…ehhhh. It tried. There were things that worked, but in general the plot seemed disjointed from the characters and there were a few things that had no business being there and just muddied the waters. It’s not bad necessarily, it’s just not very smooth. There are better political intrigues to read if that’s what you want. But if you just want some sugar-sweet fluff with a backdrop of drama, then this one is perfect. My favorite scene was probably the flashback to the first few times they met, absolutely fantastic.

Would I read it again: Nah.

Nan Chan

Author: Tang Jiuqing

Quality: 8

Enjoyment: 6

Comments: This one is kind of weird because it’s definitely competent, it’s well-written and has a fairly in-depth plot, but I just didn’t really enjoy it all that much? I never got emotionally attached to any of the characters, and I didn’t even really get the relationship buildup. I understand what the author is going for with it of course, but it didn’t necessarily make a lot of sense… Or rather it seems like some bits in the middle were just missing, there’s good buildup in the beginning and in the end but how they got from point A to point B was kind of not explored to my satisfaction. I did really like the flashback to the past, I thought that storyline was all pretty interesting. The big bad was kind of disappointing to me as well though. In general, I think this is a really good book with a lot of skill behind it but it’s just not really my thing.

Would I read it again: No.

#book reviews #Copper Coins #lano reads danmei #lano reads baihe

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